Electric clam-dredge.



No; 718,695. IPATENTEDJAN. 20, 1903.

E. GHAQUETTE.

ELECTRIC OLAM DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1901. no MDDBL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I No. 718,695. PATENTBDJAN. 20, 1903. 1

Y E. GHAQUETTE. ELEGTRIG GLAM DREDGE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 20, 1901.

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No. 718,695. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903;

GHAQUETTL ELECTRIC} GLAM DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1901.

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. fly ATTORNEY No. 718,695. PATBNTED JAN. 20, 1903.

E. GHAQUETTB. ELECTRIC GLAM DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1901.

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UNTTED STATES ATENT 'FFICE.

EPHRAIEM CHAQUETTE, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CLAlVl-DREDGE.

$PEOIFICATQEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,695, dated January 20, 1903. Application filed November 20,1901- Serial No. 82,997. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EPHRAIEM CHAQUETTE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Rochelle, county of Westchester,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clam- Dredges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of dredges known as clam-dredges; and my objects are to dispense with the pole, to cause the clam to rise and fall vertically in the water, to provide for a lateral travel of the clam equal to the Width of the dredge-float without changing the moorings, and more especially to perform these operations by electricity.

One application of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, which are largely diagrammatic, for the reason that it does not seem necessary to illustrate the details and dimensions of the general structure, as those may be very largely varied without departing from my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan,.the rope being broken away and forward pulleys removed. Fig. 3 is an end view, partly in elevation and partly in section. Figs. at and 5 are enlarged details of the clam, showing the cables which lead to the barge. Figs. 6, 7, and 8are enlarged details showing the collapsible frame in side, end, and top views.

Same letters indicate similar parts in the different drawings.

The dredge is provided with the usual boat or floating portion A and discharges into a scow B and a suitable form of framework 0, which supports the swinging frame D at a suficient height above the deck to permit easy discharge into the scow. The same effect might be obtained, if desired, by raising the height of the sides of the vessel A sufficiently above that of the scow B, in which case the frame 0 will be dispensed with and the swinging frame D would be mounted directly upon the deck of .the floating vessel A. As shown in Fig. 2, it is preferable to have two or more swinging frames D, the dimensions of the dredge-float being increased accordingly. As illustrated in Fig. 2, each frame D is adapted to swing its clam through a lateral space of about fifty feet.

At the forward end of the swinging frame D is mounted the head-frame or clam-frame E, from which is suspended a discharge-funnel F, supported by the guys a a from the head-frame and frame D, as shown.

The clam G is supported by the ropes b b 1) upon the pulleys c c c c by the aid of the counterbalance H. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.) The weight of the clam and its operating mechanism and of the counterbalance H are so easily balanced that the power required to raise the clam when full is very materially reduced from that usually required in clam-dredges. There are two counterbalances H for each clam, each of which is suspended from one of the two outer pulleys o o. The middle pulleys c c and the rope passing over them are used for raising and lowering the unbalanced excess of weight of the clam and its contents. This rope (shown as broken in Figs. 1 and 2) passes over a drum of usual construction (not shown) and operated, preferably, by an electric motor. (Not shown.) Two electric motors are indicated upon the drawings. One of these, J, (see Fig. 2,) is situated inside the clam G, and its action will be described hereinafter. cated by the letter K, and its action will now he described. This motorKis mounted upon the swinging frame D and serves, by means of the worm-wheel 70, to turn the cogwheel Z, mounted upon the worm-wheel shaft, which is journaled in the frame D. This cog Zmeshes with the curved rack m, fixed upon the frame 0 and set on an are on which the inner end of the frame D is swiveled as a center. The track 11, concentric with said rack, is mounted on the forward end of the frame C, and upon this track the swinging frame D bears, being supported by the rollers 0 o.

It is obvious that by means of the motor K the head-frame E, with its spout F, and the forward end of the swinging frame D can be swung as a unit through considerable space along the end of the vessel A, While the clam is always in position for a vertical ascent and descent. It is self-evident that if a single clam is used mud and other matter may be removed from the bottom of a river, harbor, or the like for a horizontal distance equal to the reasonable width of the vessel without changing its moorings, while by employing The other is indi-' wider vessels and two or more clams operating side by side a much longer path can be dredged without changing the moorings.

The operation of the clams will now be described. The clam is surrounded bythe collapsible frame L, one half of which is pivoted, as shown at p p, to one side of the head-frame c and the other half, as shown at pp, to the other side of the head-frame. The upper and lower portions of the collapsible frame L are connected by rods q q, so that they rise and fall in unison, and the lower part of the frame r serves as an apron or trough which when in the up or closed position (shown in Fig. 1) serves to guide the discharged contents of the clam G into the funnel F. This collapsible frame L is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 only by the clam when in its raised position, the upper part of the frame restingon the top of the clam. As the clam is lowered the collapsible frame falls through the action of gravity and the two halves separating allow the clam to pass through, after which the frame hangs downward until the clam again rises and lifts it. The clam itself opens at the bottom, being composed, as usual, of two swinging halves s s, pivoted atp to atriangular frame If, upon which the clam is hung and to which the rope I) is attached by means of the cross-bar t, which connects the upper ends of the triangular frame 25. This frame also serves as a support for the motor J,which is inside the clam.

The opening and closing of the clam are brought about as follows: The outer upper surface of the swinging half .9 and the inner half of the swinging surface s are provided with teeth in the nature of a segmental rack. Both of these racks engage with a pinion u, so that the revolution of the pinion in one direction moves both halves to open the clam and in the opposite direction to close the clam. Revolution is imparted to this pinion u when desired as follows: Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noticed that the left-hand clam shows a section with a pinion engaged to the inside segmental rack, while the right-hand clamis shown in partial elevation and the pinion engaged with the outside segmental rack. The motor-shaft carries a pinion n, which engages with a gear 12 on the shaft of the pinion it. These wheels are operated to open the clam by the motor J, as about to be described.

Electric contact to open the clam is brought about as follows: On the clam-supporting frame 15 are carried two contact-points w to. When contact is made through 10, the clam opens. Contactis made through to by means of the switch y, mounted upon the frame 25, when it is deflected by striking against the stop z, fixed upon the head-frame E. This happens when the full clam has reached the top of its ascent, lifting and closing the apron r at the bottom of the collapsible frame. Contact is made through w by means of the circuit-closery under the action of the spring at. \Vhenever the rope I) is taut, the spring 0;, which is set in the upper part of the frame t, is kept in a compressed condition. Then the rope slackens,.the spring expands and makes contact, thereby closing the clam. This happens when the clam in its descent strikes the bottom, which checks its descent and slackens the rope I). VVhe-n the clam is at the bottom of the sea and has sunk into mud to a sufficient depth to fill the clam, the engineer in charge is notified as follows: Inside the clam there is a contact-button z on the motor-frame and a contact-point .2 on the swinging half .9, normally out of contact. These are connected by Wires (not shown) with an alarm-bell located in convenient hearing distance of the engineer. When the clam closes, the contact-point displaces the button and the alarm is sounded, the point passing beyond and out of contact again. The engineer thereupon raises the clam by the rope I). As soon as the rope becomes taut it compresses the spring :0, thereby breaking contact at w and allowing the clam to remain closed during the ascent.

I claim- 1. The above described electric clam-dredge which consists of a suitable float, aclam carried thereby and mechanism for raising and lowering the same vertically at the edge of said float, an electric motor located in said clam and devices substantially as described whereby said clam is automatically opened at the top of its ascent and closed when it reaches the bottom, substantially as described.

2. An electric clam-dredge which consists of a suitable float, a frame projecting over one end thereof, a counterbalanced clam mounted in the projecting end of said frame, mechanism for raising and lowering said clam vertically, an electric motor mounted upon the clam-frame inside the clam and circuitclosing devices adapted to shut said clam automatically when it reaches the bottom and to open it automatically when it reaches the top of its travel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. An electric clam-dredge provided with a suitable fixed frame projecting over one end of the float and a collapsible frame consisting of two sets of arms hinged to said fixed frame and a discharging-trough formed in two overlapping portions, each portion being supported by one of said sets of hinged arms; said collapsible frame normally hangingin a collapsed condition but located in the path of the ascending clam and adapted to be drawn up thereby in its ascent whereby the two portions of the discharging-trough are caused to overlap in a position to receive and discharge the excavated material deposited thereon by said clam.

EPHRAIEM GHAQUETTE.

\Vitnesses:

W. P. PREBLE, J r., RAE BATTERSBY. 

